5 September 2008

by Joie Pirkey

I am sure that many of you have heard about the Lakeland “Outpouring” in Florida, spearheaded by Todd Bentley of Fresh Fire Ministries that occurred this summer.  Many of you, I know, have been receiving emails and post cards from local Pastors who are claiming that they are bringing back the anointing that they received at this “Outpouring” and are “imparting” it at services and conferences that they are holding here in the Fox Valley.  For those of you who are not aware of what is happening with this event, I want to strongly encourage you to click on the blue links below and do some research because something very important is happening in the Body of Christ and this is only the beginning. 

(Here is a link to a segment that Nightline did on Todd Bentley on July 9^th)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69p-vJfWudo

(Here is a link to Fox News with Geraldo interviewing Todd)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--SEIA67rGI&feature=related

For the past month I have had quite a bit of time in prayer and study, good alone time with the Lord and His awesome Word.  Let me add to this list, my husband Douglas, because not only is he passionate about his own studies of the Word he is a wealth of Biblical information, good solid doctrine,  a wise and engaged spiritual head, and a serious prayer partner. 

Much of this time was spent hearing from the Lord about what He is about to do with the Church at large.  Many times He was confronting my small, local thinking and asking me to understand that He was speaking about the global church.  The underlying theme of what He was speaking to me was holiness and that He is calling the Church to truth and repentance.  The foundational scripture He gave to me for this season is

 I Corinthians 3:10-15

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (NIV)

A small part of what He was sharing with me was about both what was happening and what was about to happen in Lakeland, Florida.  Out of these times of prayer and visions I have come with a call from the Lord to share with you some of what He has told me.

In early May He told me in a vision that Todd Bentley was in sin and that some of the sin was “deviant” (His word).  I was told that the sin that would be revealed would include sexual sins, problems with the money, and testifying to miracles that have not happened.  He said that it would be exposed but that was not why the event would end.  It would end and be exposed because he and his fellow ministers were not allowing Christ to be the Head. 

I was told that He would allow the move to become well known and that I should watch to see who would (and I use His word here) “own” this.  Many ministers of prominence would “own” what was happening.  He didn’t say why this was important, but He wanted me to watch for it and to watch who did.

On June 25^th, a “Commission Service” was held in Lakeland where a number of well known ministers prophesied over Todd and gave their blessing to this series of meetings, bringing Todd under their apostolic covering.  Here is that series of links:

One of Four:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVdY9ufJmz8&feature=related
Two of Four:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A05WQYi7aQ&feature=related
Three of Four:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjl5wKso9eU&feature=related
Four of Four:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAnNSiZfgvI&feature=related

On June 16^th, when I heard that Paul Cain, Kansas City Prophet, was to speak on the platform at Lakeland and then did the following night, I was trembling with the seriousness of how wrong it was to allow Paul Cain to have the platform.  I watched the video of the event sometime later and was amazed that this man, who had recently been publically addressed by people in his same camp for being homosexual and an alcoholic and who was not willing to submit to a restoration process, was here on the pulpit prophesying.  That night I went to pray about it and the Lord simply told me to continue to watch.

(Here is the link to Morning Star Ministries regarding Paul Cain being caught in sin as recently as 2004)

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Articles/1000012967/ MorningStar_Ministries/Media/Special_Bulletins/2004/_6_Special.aspx

(Here is the link to Paul not submitting to the restoration process, same web site)

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Articles/1000013152/ MorningStar_Ministries/Media/Special_Bulletins/2007/_1_An.aspx

The night that Paul Cain “prophesied” on the platform at Lakeland he lied about his sin, claiming that there were only “accusations against him” even though earlier he had admitted to these sins on his own web site.  Then he went on to tell the crowd that he had led a celibate life even though he had recently admitted to having years of sexual relations with men.  I’ll post part of Rick Joyner’s article that explains what happened:

The History and Future of the Present Revival - Part 3

By Rick Joyner

“Later, Paul submitted himself to a restoration process and they declared him restored to ministry. When those who had led this process explained how they had accomplished this so fast, it set off more alarms in me. Some of the communication I had with them and with Paul only solidified my doubts. Even so, I had a great hope that I was wrong, or even if I was right about the validity of their restoration process, that the Lord would intervene some other way so that Paul could be delivered from the powerful strongholds that had taken such a grip on his life.

I kept that hope until Paul spoke in Lakeland about “the allegations” about him and his assertions of having lived a celibate life. That was pretty overwhelming evidence that he has still not repented of these serious transgressions. What Paul called “allegations” are abundant and overwhelming evidence, which Paul has admitted to. However, admitting something is not the same as repenting of it. As long as there is blame-shifting, an attempt to cover them up, or dilute the seriousness of them, the restoration process has at best fallen far short of its purpose.”

(Here is the link to the entire Bulletin that Rick Joyner wrote with his thoughts about Paul’s comments at Lakeland)

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Articles/1000031954/ MorningStar_Ministries/Media/Special_Bulletins/2008/_6_The.aspx

What was happening to Todd’s discernment when he supposedly was spoken to by the Lord and asked to have Paul Cain come to prophesy?  What was happening to the discernment of the other leaders to even allow Paul to speak on the platform?    They were making strong claims of being in “the glory” and in “revelatory realms” and of receiving prophetic words from the Lord, and yet were none of them warned by the Lord that Paul was not in a right state to have the pulpit, to be allowed to “prophesy"?

At this point, in mid June, I thought that the Church needed to be warned and I went out on the internet trying to see if anyone had heard from the Lord before it happened about Paul Cain or about Todd being in sin.  I also felt that it was time to go public with some kind of warning. I asked the three men who oversee and advise me in the visions and prophetic words that I receive, if they thought that I should go public with what the Lord was telling me.  They all three agreed that unless the Lord specifically told me who and how to tell it that I should wait and remain silent until the Lord specifically directed me to do otherwise.

The week before Paul Cain spoke at Lakeland we were at a CCV House of Prayer meeting on June 10^th.  The Lord spoke to me about having three intercessors and myself go away for 24 hours and pray and listen because He wanted to reveal some things to us.  We went on June 16 and 17^th.  The Lord began to speak to us about what was happening in Lakeland as soon as we began.  He told one of the prophetic women who were there that Todd Bentley was in sin and that the timing of the closing of the Lakeland event would be significant. 

The Lord then began to speak to us about ‘speaking the truth’.  He made it clear that I was to speak publically not only about what He was telling me about Lakeland but also about the Fox Valley and the Church at large.  The exposing of sin in Lakeland and at some of the churches here in the Valley is only a small fraction of what He is about to do.  He intends to clean up the church.  This cleansing has to happen to prepare the way for true revival, for true reformation.  He wants the Church to function in the way that He has set up and commanded us to work in Matthew 18.  He wants us to begin to speak the truth, calling those in sin to repentance.

Matthew 18:15-18

"If your brother sins go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.” But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses every fact may be confirmed. "If he refuses to listen to them tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

He told us that when we speak the truth rain will come.

One of the truths that the Lord asked us to address publically in that same 24 hour meeting was the sin of idolatry.  He showed us that when Jesus Christ is not the center and our focus shifts to anything else, that point of focus becomes an idol; whether it be a man, an angel, sign and wonders, sensation, whatever.  As we were praying about what other specific truths to speak and how to proclaim them in a way that brings restoration and repentance instead of offence and division, my husband phoned and told us that he felt that the Lord wanted us to read Zech. 10.  Here is what we read:

Zechariah 10:1-4

Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.   He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.  The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. "My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Almost two months after this 24 hour prayer time the news broke on August 12^th that Todd was divorcing his wife.

(Here is the link to Todd’s web site and a letter from his Board of Directors.  They initially wrote a letter on August 12 assuring the public that no infidelity was occurring on either part but then on August 15^th they wrote another letter seen on this link below stating that Todd had an inappropriate relationship with one of his female staff members.)

http://www.freshfire.ca/

Again I asked the Lord about this but all He said was “Watch the Leaders” referring to those who “owned” the event, seen in the “Commission Service” video clips above.  And again He said that this is not coming down because of Todd’s sin, but because he and his staff were not allowing Christ to be the Head.

Knowing what we know now about Todd's personal life, viewing the videos of the actual revival and those prophesying about Todd brings on a whole new set of questions.  Here are what a few of those ministers prophesied about Todd at Lakeland:

 “You have no guile in you” -- Paul Cain June 17th at Lakeland

“Your power will increase, your authority will increase, your favor will increase, influence and revelation will increase”  -- C. Peter Wagner June 25^th at Lakeland

 “Knowing that you have walked in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Jesus in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the intimacy and knowledge of God…”
-- Che Ahn June 25^th at Lakeland

 “The spirit came on me and said, Todd, because you asked, like so very few men on the face of the earth asked, to see my glory, I will begin a revival through you, that will pass beyond gifts in to the very heart that moves God, to release gifts to his children and Jesus filled with compassion healed the sick and Jesus filled with forgiveness said he who is without sin cast the first stone, and Jesus filled with justice and truth threw over tables and took out whips and cleansed the temple of God.  Todd, I have chosen you because of your background, because of your background, because of your background to release my nature, when you release my gifts to become a living epistle like the Word who became flesh, and people saw the glory of God and I will use you to father a movement that operates in such revival power. But it is coming out of the very nature and heart of God and you will teach people how to behold God until they are transformed from glory to glory, from compassion to mercy, to loving kindness, to truth, to justice, to forgiveness, and a whole generation will move in such signs and wonders and power. But everyone will give glory to God. And I feel like, Todd, that when you were 12 years old and I just graduated from Baptist seminary, the Holy Spirit fell on me and he started to speak to me over and over and over again about a generation that would come on the earth that would do signs and wonders and change society and society would not change them and you are a first fruits of that generation of nation changers that will release the glory of God in all its fullness in Jesus name.”  --Stacey Campbell June 25th at Lakeland

How could so many prominent ministers of our day, many who claim to be hearing directly from the Lord, not have had an inkling that something was very wrong?  What was actually happening to Todd as he obviously knew what was being spoken over him was not true, and yet was still jerking his head back and forth, as if the Holy Spirit was manifesting in a miraculous way to confirm the words being spoken?  And why were so many in the crowd doing this as well?  As lies are being falsely prophesied over a minister in front of thousands wouldn’t you think that the Holy Spirit would be communicating to the believers a message of grief, or at least that something is very wrong?  And yet thousands were “manifesting” jerks and movements as if the Holy Spirit was confirming what was being said.  What was going on here? 

I have cried out to the Lord asking why so many people seemed to believe so many things that were not true.  What He told me was that He created them to follow;  that He gave them gifts;  that He gave them discernment, and prophesies, and teachers to tell us what is Biblical, Pastors to help tend to the flock and to direct us.  At so many levels the church is breaking down and not functioning as it should, as it is fashioned and called to do.  So what are we to do in this situation? 

God is telling us to speak the truth.  After speaking so many times about the need to speak up and tell the truth; the truth about what He is telling us, the truth about what we know that is uncomfortable to confront, the truth of the Word of God, He gave me these scriptures for the Church:

Ephesians 5:11-17

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says,
         "Awake, sleeper,
         And arise from the dead,
         And Christ will shine on you." Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

and

2 Corinthians 4:2

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

When we speak the Word of God into any given situation the truth is active and alive and can divide what is from the Lord and what is not.  So in the example of Lakeland, for those who knew about Todd’s adultery, had they spoken the truth in love in the very beginning, the Spirit of God could have had His way.  But when the truth is covered up the sin grows and spreads and destroys not only that beloved believer but the ones around him as well, especially when they are in a leadership position.  And when lies are spoken to cover the truth, the enemy is then released into the situation, because he is the father of lies.  Although the truth can be very difficult to speak, especially in these circumstances, we as believers are in covenant to take up that cross and speak the truth in love.

One thing the Lord has been asking me to do through this process is to call the ministers who publically supported and endorsed the Lakeland event to repent.  Call them to admit what they have done wrong, to own how they have misled the people, and simply repent so that they can be restored to the body as the leaders and ministers that they are.  Until then, I believe not only the Bible, but also God prophetically, is saying to these ministers, not to continue in ministry until they have publically repented and have appropriately been restored from this situation.

These events in Lakeland become exceedingly important to us in the Fox Valley because a group of ministers closely affiliated with Todd, and what happened there, are now coming to Valley Harvest Church in Neenah in October.  In their previous invitations they have claimed to have gone to Lakeland, picked up the ”anointing” and brought it back to the Fox Valley to impart it to the believers here.  Since the sin that was happening at Lakeland began to come out, some of them have simply scrubbed off the name Lakeland and have continued ministry as usual.  With everything we know now, including what the Lord has spoken about this, I wonder what exactly they are bringing to the Valley.  Pastor Bidal Torrez and Jeff Jansen, who are hosting this October event, have also not only promoted Lakeland in their invitations but have just recently held a conference with Paul Cain as well.

As a prophet I have heard many times in the past that we, the Church in the Fox Valley, are not to be influenced by the Bob Jones camp, which includes the ministry of Todd Bentley.  These words about not being influenced have been widely circulated among the men hosting these events, my pastor and spiritual leadership, and many who attend the CCV House of Prayer.  For years now, we had been told not to be influenced by either the Bob Jones camp nor the C. Peter Wagner / Dutch Sheets camp.  City Church, hosted at Valley Harvest, was an organization of local churches and ministries who were praying for unity in the Fox Valley and for a promised Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  When Jeff Jansen first began to minister with the City Church, before he was closely connected with Bob Jones, we received him with open arms.  But as his ministry matured, he became more closely connected with the Bob Jones camp, taking on their distinctives, beliefs, and experiences.  The Lord spoke to me just after the Fire and Glory Conference in January of 2006, which the City Church was hosting, that we were to no longer have Jeff Jansen minister with us for a season so as not to be influenced by the camp he was affiliated with. I was specifically told that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was coming to the Fox Valley was going to be very different from what was happening in these two camps and that the Lord did not want us to be influenced by them.  Consequently, until that outpouring came, we were to discontinue having these camps minister here in the Fox Valley.  It was the response to these words from the Lord that caused the City Church to split apart. 

For a season the Lord told me to remain silent.  But now He has asked me to speak the truth about these very difficult things.  They are difficult because I sincerely love and respect both Jeff and Bidal.  However, they are opening a door to the Fox Valley to a movement that the Lord does not want here, to a movement that is going through a deeply questionable time at best.  In light of the sins being uncovered at Lakeland; that Paul Cain is not in right standing for ministry and yet both Bidal and Jeff have been ministering with him; that so many ministers prophesied for and endorsed all of this and have not publically repented, I am asking the Body of Christ to lift up a standard of holiness and love by calling these people to account. 

I am also asking the local Pastors to please pray about speaking out publically regarding what they are discerning about this matter.

I received a phone call from a much respected minister in Rwanda this past week.  I had been discussing this matter with him for some time.  He phoned to encourage me to speak up and tell the Church what God was saying even in the face of rejection, persecution, or death.  May we all heed his encouragement to be free with each other and share what we believe the Lord is speaking to us.  How else will we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ?

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In my next Newsletter I will continue to address what the Lord has spoken to me regarding what He is about to do in the Church to prepare us for restoration and revival. 

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